Premiere Pro Time Interpolation User Guide

What is Time Interpolation in Premiere Pro?

After you drag your video clip to the timeline, right-click on the clip and you will see the Time Interpolation option. Click on the Time Interpolation option, and you will see the three modes.

You can also access all the Time Interpolation methods using one of the following options:

• Click Clip in the menu bar > Video Option > Time Interpolation > Frame Sampling | Frame Blending | Optical Flow.
• Right-click on the clip > choose Speed/Duration > Time Interpolation.
• Open the Export Settings dialog and use the Time Interpolation drop-down (this option only applies to the exported media).

1. Premiere Pro Frame Sampling

Frame Sampling is the default option when trying to use Premiere Pro to change the speed of a clip. Frame Sampling duplicates or removes frames when you slow down or speed up a clip. Premiere Pro Frame Sampling is based on the concept of persistence of vision, which means that the human eye can hold onto an image for a brief period after it disappears. Through replicating frames, Frame Sampling gives the impression of fluid motion, despite the fact that the frame rate itself stays the same.

Frame Sampling can enhance the flow between two video clips, particularly when there are distinct variations in motion or lighting across the scenes. If you want to make a slow-motion video, Frame Sampling helps to create the slow-motion effect by generating additional frames, and makes the effect look natural. Also, when dealing with fast-paced action videos or low FPS videos, Frame Sampling helps reduce the appearance of motion jerkiness.

However, as it is a frame duplication way, it may result in stuttering or uneven motion when processing characteristics that have a complicated motion trajectory. Frame Sampling is best for smooth movements.

2. Premiere Pro Frame Blending

Premiere Pro Frame Blending is also employed to enhance the visual fluidity of footage that is either in slow motion or accelerated. By activating the Frame Blending mode, Premiere Pro seamlessly merges neighboring frames and generates a fresh frame to bridge any gaps, resulting in a seamless and fluid motion.

Frame Blending is particularly useful when processing clips that have varying frame rates, thus to prevent choppy or jumpy motion. It can be used to polish any uneven areas in the video footage. Also, if needed, it can create motion blur effects.

Unlike Frame Sampling that is best for simple and smooth and motion, Frame Blending performs better when there are lots of motion changes in the video. If the video remains relatively still, the impact may not be as apparent. However, an overuse of Frame Blending can occasionally result in a phenomenon known as 'ghosting', wherein the blended frames become apparent and introduce a slight blur between each real frame.

3. Premiere Pro Optical Flow

Optical Flow is an advanced interpolation method that can analyze pixel motion and generate completely new frames where there wasn’t any before to fill the gaps between keyframes. Compared to the above two methods, it can generate the smoothest results but it may require significant computational resources.

However, sometimes the results will not look smooth and natural. Optical Flow is best for working with videos with simple motion, such as skiing videos without rotation, jump, or turns. Also, remember to render the video after applying the Optical Flow function to make the effect more natural.

Frame Sampling vs. Frame Blending vs. Optical Flow

Here are a picture and comparison table to show you the differences between Frame Sampling and Frame Blending and Optical Flow.

How to Apply Time Interpolation in Premiere Pro

Time Interpolation helps create smooth motion when changing clip speed. Follow these steps to apply it properly:

Step 1. Import and place your clip

Bring your video clip into Premiere Pro and drag it onto the timeline where you want it to appear.

Tip: Arrange your clips in the timeline first to avoid adjusting multiple clips later.

Step 2. Open the Speed/Duration settings

Right-click on the clip in the timeline and select Speed/Duration from the context menu.

Tip: You can also press Ctrl+R (Windows) or Cmd+R (Mac) as a shortcut.

Step 3. Choose Time Interpolation

In the Speed/Duration dialog box, locate the Time Interpolation dropdown menu.

Step 4. Select an interpolation method

Pick the method that fits your video:

• Frame Sampling: Duplicates or removes frames to maintain motion. Best for smooth, simple movements.
• Frame Blending: Blends neighboring frames for smoother motion. Good for varying frame rates or uneven footage, but may create ghosting.
• Optical Flow: Generates new frames by analyzing pixel motion. Produces the smoothest results, ideal for simple motion, but uses more CPU/GPU resources.

Tip: Try the chosen method on a short section first to see how it affects playback quality.

Step 5. Render the effect

Premiere Pro may not play these effects in real-time. To render, go to the menu bar and select Sequence > Render Effects In to Out or press the Enter key. This ensures smooth playback.

Tip: Rendering is especially important for Optical Flow, as it requires more processing power to calculate new frames.